Grab the Popcorn; It’s Movie Time

Though fewer TV movies are being made these days, the fall still holds an enticing array of the serious and the silly. Here’s a sampling:

“The Rats”: What if the estimated 78.3 million rats living under New York City decided to take over? This thriller, starring Vincent Spano and Madchen Amick, promises to answer that question. Fox. Monday.

“Mindstorm”: Eric Roberts and Michael Ironside star with newcomer Emmanuelle Vaugier in this twisted tale of a psychic, a cult and a dark legacy. Sci Fi. Saturday.

“The Killing Yard”: Alan Alda, Morris Chestnut and Rose McGowan star in this examination of the aftermath of the Attica prison uprising of 30 years ago. Showtime. Sept. 23.

“The Pilot’s Wife”: Christine Lahti stars in this adaptation of the Anita Shreve best-seller about a woman who loses her airline pilot husband in a crash and subsequently discovers he has been leading a double life. CBS. Sept. 30.

“In the Time of the Butterflies”: Based on the Julie Alvarez book, this drama follows the four Mirabal sisters’ fight for social justice in the Dominican Republic. Salma Hayek, Edward James Olmos, Mia Maestro, Pilar Padilla and Lumi Cavazos star. Showtime. Oct. 7.

“Three Blind Mice”: Brian Dennehy and Mary Stuart Masterson star as opposing attorneys on a triple-murder case. CBS. Oct. 7.

“No Ordinary Baby”: Bridget Fonda, Mary Beth Hurt and Philip Bosco star in this fictional account of the first human cloning. Lifetime. Oct. 8.

“Victoria and Albert”: Victoria Hamilton, Jonathan Firth, Diana Rigg and David Suchet star in this telling of the romance and reign of Britain’s Queen Victoria and Prince Albert. A&E.;

Oct. 9.

“When Good Ghouls Go Bad”: Saving Halloween for a Minnesota town falls to 12-year-old Danny (Joe Pichler). Christopher Lloyd also stars. Fox Family. Oct. 21.

“Romantic Comedy 101”: Joseph Lawrence and Jeremy London co-star in a cheeky tale of boy meets girl, boy loses girl, boy gets girl back. E! Oct. 23.

“The Wedding Dress”: Tyne Daly, Margaret Colin and Neil Patrick Harris star in the tale of a magical wedding dress that moves through the lives of five different couples. CBS. Oct. 28.

“Shot in the Heart”: Based on the acclaimed book by Mikal Gilmore, brother of convicted murderer Gary Gilmore, about the legacy of his brother’s deeds and his final days. Giovanni Ribisi and Elias Koteas star. HBO. Oct. 13.

“Robin Cook’s Acceptable Risk”: This medical thriller about a menacing mole stars Chad Lowe, Kelly Rutherford and Sean Patrick Flanery. TBS. Oct. 21.

“Uprising”: The Jewish resistance fight against the Nazis in the Warsaw Ghetto is told in this miniseries, which stars Leelee Sobieski, Hank Azaria, David Schwimmer, Jon Voight and Donald Sutherland. NBC. Nov. 4 & 5.

“The Facts of Life”: Revisit the ‘80s sitcom at a reunion of original actors Charlotte Rae, Kim Fields and Nancy McKeon. ABC. Nov. 18.

“Jack & the Beanstalk: The Real Story”: Jim Henson Productions creates a contemporary, live-action version of Jack and his story, starring Matthew Modine, Mia Sara, Jon Voight, Richard Attenborough, Vanessa Redgrave and Daryl Hannah. CBS. November.

“Invincible”: Billy Zane stars in this martial arts action-adventure story in which good battles evil. TBS. Nov. 18.

“The Matthew Shepard Story”: The true-life story of a gay Laramie, Wyo., college student whose murder put a boy-next-door face on hate crimes. The movie stars Stockard Channing and Sam Waterston as Shepard’s parents. NBC. Fall.

“Call Me Claus”: A comedy about the true meaning of Christmas, starring Whoopi Goldberg, Nigel Hawthorne, Brian Stokes Mitchell and Victor Garber. TNT. December.

“Brian’s Song”: A remake of Emmy-winning 1971 story of Chicago Bears rookies Brian Piccolo and Gale Sayers and their extraordinary friendship. Starring Sean Maher, Mekhi Phifer and Ben Gazzara. ABC. Winter.